The best store-bought pumpkin pie in Charlotte is ... (not Costco’s)

What is it about the Costco pumpkin pie? No seriously, I’m asking — Why does it seem to have this cult following?

Last week I got called in on a very important assignment, helping Observer food editor Kathleen Purvis taste and rate six store-bought pumpkin pies with Helen Schwab, Sarah Crosland and Sergio Tovar.

During the taste test, Purvis mentioned the Costco pie love. And, sure enough, when we posted a photo of the pies to Instagram last week, two of the first three comments were about the Costco pie.

Tasting store-bought pumpkin pies. For journalism. Do you have a favorite?

A photo posted by CharlotteFive (@cltfive) on Nov 13, 2015 at 2:16pm PST

“CostCo has some delish pumpkin pies (OK hand emoji) (Jack-o-lantern emoji),” said @adecker87. (Spelling out emojis is fun.)

“For some reason I always crave Costco’s pumpkin pie …” said @kristinbolick.

Someone also gave four fire emojis to the Costco pumpkin cheesecake, but let’s stay on topic here.

So why is Costco’s so great?

“It’s creamy (if that’s the right word for the consistency) and I like the blend of spices…. Just right. And after having Costco pies for enough consecutive holidays… I guess I now am hooked!!! Plus- they are HUGE!!! (smiley face).” – @kristinbolick. 

Well, I hate to break it to y’all, but Costco’s pie did not win the taste test. Here are our rankings, from Purvis’ story:

The winner: Fresh Market, $9.99 for an 8-inch filling

Scores: 38 points for the crust, 31 points for the filling. Overall: 69 points.

The prettiest pie, with a nice sheen and a brownish orange color that doesn’t look fake. The crust was the best of the bunch, with a hint of salt to balance the sweet, and the filling has a hint of cinnamon and good texture. The top vote-getter, by a long shot.

2nd place: Costco, $5.99 for an 11-inch filling that would serve 10 to 12

Scores: 21 points for crust, 30 points for filling. Overall: 51 points.

The crust is chewy, not flaky, but it has good flavor. The filling is very mild and a little bland, but it does have a little nutmeg spiciness. It’s not a great pie, but it will serve a lot of people if you really can’t make your own.

3rd place: Whole Foods, $5.99 for a 7-inch filling

Scores: 24 points for crust, 25 points for filler. Overall: 49 points.

The crust has a little flakiness and crunch. The filling is dark with a creamy texture, but it was bland, with very little spice flavor.

4th: Harris Teeter, $6.99 regular price (ours was $4.99 on sale) for a 6-inch filling

Scores: 20 points for the crust, 25 points for filling. Overall: 45 points.

The thick crust is firm, with good flavor. The filling has good color, and it’s heavy on cinnamon and nutmeg, but it suffers from a gummy, spongy texture.

5th: Trader Joe’s, $6.99 for a 6-inch filling

Scores: 13 points for crust, 29 points for filling. Overall: 42 points.

The filling was a favorite of the tasters, with fluffy, custardy texture and a good balance of fall spices. But the crust was the worst of the bunch. Pale, too soft, with no flavor. “For people who eat raw pie dough,” said one tester. Another said, “It tastes like a cardboard box.”

The loser: Publix, $4.99 for a 6-inch filling

Scores: 22 points for crust, 14 points for filling. Overall: 36 points.

The crust was OK, with a little flakiness and bland yet buttery flavor. But the filling was dismal: Sour and mushy, with a strange greenish/yellow color and an unpleasant aftertaste. Even whipped cream wouldn’t save this one.

Agree? Disagree? Tweet to us @Charlotte_Five.

Photos: Diedra Laird/Charlotte Observer

This story was originally published November 18, 2015 at 12:03 AM with the headline "The best store-bought pumpkin pie in Charlotte is ... (not Costco’s)."